BERKELEY — Cal senior point guard Tyrone Wallace says the improvement in his game this season is the result of the company he’s keeping.

With more talent around him — including standout freshmen Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb — Wallace says there is less pressure to carry the offense for the 15th-ranked Golden Bears.

“My confidence in all these guys is extremely high,” he said. “I may look better running the position. It’s because I don’t have to force. I can find guys who are open. It probably makes me look better.”

Teammate Sam Singer says Wallace isn’t giving himself enough credit.

“I’ve had to guard him the last few years in practice. As hard as it was last year . . . now, if he’s hitting his free throws and making his shot from the outside, he’s really hard to guard because he penetrates so well and is able to finish with either hand. I’ve seen a big improvement.”

Heading into play Friday night against East Carolina, Wallace was averaging 22.0 points and a Pac-12-best 7.5 assists for the 2-0 Bears — both way up from a year ago when he was an all-conference selection. An erratic shooter throughout his career, he was converting 68 percent from the floor and nearly 86 percent from the free throw line. His assist-to-turnover ration: 7.5 to 1.

Cal coach Cuonzo Martin said Wallace always has had ballhandling skills, but that he’s benefiting from experience after being moved to the point last season. He now sees the whole floor and makes better decisions on when to pass and when to attack or shoot.

“I felt like when he started making his free throws,” Martin said, “he would be extremely hard to defend because he puts so much pressure on you.”

Quick and aggressive at nearly 6-foot-6, Wallace may benefit more than most players from the new emphasis in officiating that prevents defenders from hand-checking.

Asked if that could make Wallace almost unguardable, Martin said, “I can answer that after the season. He has a chance to do a lot of good things.”

That certainly will be the case if he can continue his early-season success from the free throw line: 12 for 14 through two games.

Wallace attempted 198 free throws last season – second-most in the Pac-12 – but converted just 60.6 percent. He responded by shooting thousands of free throws over the summer.

He made small tweaks to his form, but mostly tried to develop consistency in his shot, and confidence. A year ago, when he hit a rough patch shooting the ball, he admits to thinking about it too much.

“My confidence in my shot is through the roof right now,” Wallace said. “If you believe you can make shots, the ball will go in a lot more.”